Observe a laboratory activity or base your answer on past visits. How does your CT conduct a typical laboratory activity? How does he or she open the activity and organize student groups? How do students learn what they're expected to do during the period? Reflect on your reading about inquiry and your experience with the NECAP inquiry task. How did the laboratory activity you observe prepare students for the type of activities that might show up on the NECAP in the future? What inquiry elements would you strengthen? What science practices do you want to stress when you're teaching?
For this observation I have chosen to use Mrs. Couchon's class because I have been able to see two lab activities so far. Mrs. Couchon opens all of her activities with a recap review of the previous day's work and a discussion on it. She gives the students the lab instructions while they are all sitting at their desks. The students are mature enough and the class is small enough (about 18 students) to choose their own lab groups once they leave their seats and go to the lab benches. Mrs. Couchon uses a white board that is located in the back of the room near the lab benches to give any additional instructions or write down any important information while the lab is going on. Students can use what is on the board for reference during the lab. During the actual lab Mrs. Couchon walks around the group asking guiding questions and helping students with any parts of the lab that they are confused with.
(1.5/2) What are your reactions to her practices? How do you think Mrs. Couchon's strategies address students learning science practices as described in the NGSS?
For this observation I have chosen to use Mrs. Couchon's class because I have been able to see two lab activities so far. Mrs. Couchon opens all of her activities with a recap review of the previous day's work and a discussion on it. She gives the students the lab instructions while they are all sitting at their desks. The students are mature enough and the class is small enough (about 18 students) to choose their own lab groups once they leave their seats and go to the lab benches. Mrs. Couchon uses a white board that is located in the back of the room near the lab benches to give any additional instructions or write down any important information while the lab is going on. Students can use what is on the board for reference during the lab. During the actual lab Mrs. Couchon walks around the group asking guiding questions and helping students with any parts of the lab that they are confused with.
(1.5/2) What are your reactions to her practices? How do you think Mrs. Couchon's strategies address students learning science practices as described in the NGSS?